Adventure 49/101, Mission 06 - Mission San Luis Obispo

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 101 - 06 : Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, 5th mission

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 12, 2012

Location: San Luis Obispo

Description:

Thing One and Thing Two had a great meal over at the Firestone Grill, just a few blocks over from Mission San Luis Obispo. So off we went and walked the few blocks to the mission. As in times past, the mission is the center of San Luis Obispo. All of the business and tourist area of the city points back to its mission past.

The front of the mission has a park-like plaza setting with the San Luis Obipso Creek running down the center of it. It is a pleasant area which induces you to stroll around the plaza. This includes a statue of a grizzly bear—they were plentiful in the area at one time. But eventually you want to go in an admire the interior of the mission. Inside, you admire the walls with the statuary and the decorations. Unfortunately, we were there too late to look through the museum.

The Wikipedia site has a good summary.

From California Missions Resource Center site:

Mission Site: Located in a spacious valley along the central coast which the Spanish named "La Cañada de los Osos" (Valley of the Bears) when they discovered many grizzlies there. Unlike many of the missions which we re-situated over time, San Luis Obīspo stands on its original site.

Interesting Facts: 

The mission had an active life of sixty-three years.
A statue of a grizzly bear in the plaza celebrates the original discovery "La Cañada de los Osos" (Valley of the Bears) by the Portola expedition as they returned to San Diego from a failed attempt to find Monterey in December, 1769.
A long secondary nave to the right of the altar forms an L-shaped church plan, the only oneof its kind in the California missions.
The combination vestibule and belfry at the front facade of the mission, while somewhat similar to that in San Antonio de Padua, is unique among the California missions.






From California State Parks site:
From California State Parks site:

The humble chapel built of logs was dedicated to St. Louis, Bishop of Tolosa in 1772, and was the first mission to use tiles extensively on the roof due to repeated attacks by Indians who used flaming arrows to ignite the original thatched roof. Situated in the fertile, well-watered Valley of the Bears, the mission produced an abundance of crops, and two water-powered grist mills processed foods normally ground by hand. The mission underwent an extensive restoration program in the 1930's and today welcomes visitors to its nearly-original condition. The museum features a rare collection of early California photographs, authentic Serra relics and specimens of Chumash Indian craftsmanship.
782 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 93401, (805) 543-6850